Lille winger Hazard, 19, is rated among the most promising talents in Europe and has for some time been talking up the prospect of a move to Real Madrid or Arsenal.

Zinedine Zidane has recommended the player to Madrid, but Hazard has now said he believes his first-team opportunities would be restricted at the Bernabeu and that he would prefer to continue his development at a club like Arsenal.

"I could have gone [to Chelsea] last June, but I was not ready to make that big leap," he said. "Recently, the press have been writing about interest from Liverpool, and it is nice to hear your name being mentioned everywhere, especially with the best teams in the world.

"If I do leave at the end of the season, I don't want to go somewhere I will be on the bench, and it will be difficult to break through in a team like Real, where Ronaldo and Kaka will be my competitors.

"But there are teams like Arsenal, where youngsters can grow more easily into the first team and make their mark.

"I will not leave for another French club because, with 100 matches under my belt for Lille, I don't think I have to prove my qualities for a team in the same league."